San Juan Skyway / Million Dollar Highway

How to Get There

From Grand Juction to Ouray (96 mi): Follow I-70BL E and 29 Rd to US-50 E in Orchard Mesa. Use any lane to turn left onto US-50 E. Continue on G50 Rd. Take G Rd to US-50 E/S Main St in Delta. Follow US-50 E to US-550 S in Ouray.

Overview

The Million Dollar Highway is the roughly 25-mile stretch of U.S. 550 between Silverton and Ouray, one of the most spectacular and nerve-racking mountain drives in the U.S., with narrow lanes, steep drop-offs with no guardrails, and hairpin turns over Red Mountain Pass (11,018 feet). It is part of the 233-mile San Juan Skyway, an All-American Road. Otto Mears built a toll road here in 1883, and the current highway was finished in 1924. The name's origin is disputed; one legend says it cost a million dollars a mile to build.

Highlights

• Three passes: Coal Bank (10,640 feet), Molas (10,970 feet), and Red Mountain (11,018 feet)
• Uncompahgre Gorge: the 12 miles south of Ouray, the most dramatic section
• Mining ruins: the Idarado and Longfellow mines along the road
• Season: avalanche closures are common in winter, so check CDOT before driving

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "San Juan Skyway", and "Million Dollar Highway", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0